My travel apps on Smartphone (1)

Today I will continue to write a post about the app on the smartphone that supports me a lot when I travel. To tell the truth, traveling abroad, not only pack your suitcase, but also do not forget to pack your phone with useful app to make the trip easy and smooth offline. Having a smartphone has become an integral part of our lives is no longer a matter of debate.

However, I must admit that smartphones are becoming more and more useful especially when traveling abroad, when most of us do not have a laptop at home. In this article I introduce some completely free app that I love and believe will also make your trip smooth, much easier.

(1) To know how to go from A to B by public transportation: install Google map

I know taxi or car hire is obviously simple but too expensive. The better way is to use public transport. However, we are often quite embarrassed to know whether to take the train or bus, any trip, route, ... because of not being clear about the traffic system in a completely unknown place.

Google map solved that problem for me. Moreover, I also use google map to save important places that I want  to visit.

For example, the map below is a nice place in the example you want to visit (eg Tarragona Autobuse Station), just type in Tarragona Autobuses will tell you the means you can use, and time travel. Google maps is very complete and updated information. Yay, from now on I do not have to headache about traveling again.

Here in this map, I just type my location to Tarragona Autobus station, It shows me that I can take bus number 8 to go, It will take me 14 min to reach my wanted destination.

Do you know no wifi / 3G   I can still use Google Maps to find the way?

When I am at home, I see Google Maps is definitely the ultimate hero to many students. But when I go abroad, at first I do not have much contact with Google Maps, because 3G is not "available" as at home.

But then when I realized that Google Maps does not always require 3G to be used? Google Maps can save an offline map of a certain area for you to use without an internet connection, which is convenient if the places of interest gather there. In addition, Google Maps just needs an internet connection to get directions from your starting point and destination point. Google Maps does not need internet to know your location.

So, my secret is to stay in the hotel, I will search the way to the destination and press the start button.

For example, when I leave the hotel, the internet is gone, but the blue dot is still moving, and looking at the position of the blue dot for the road Google Maps has determined from the beginning that i can easily get where i want.

Here is my offline map of Barcelona, you can probably see the dots on the maps, these dots are the places that I would like to visit  such as Picasso Museum, Guell Palace, Cathedral of Barcelona or Locker Barcelona ( a good place for storing your luggage for a day trip just 3.5 euros) 

(2) Convert currency: set Currency + (or a similar currency converter)

Have you ever been to another country and have to be annoyed with your mentality when trying to figure out how much this item or service is going to convert to own currency, for me, it would be Vietnamese currency? Or the time to get a phone call but bored because always forget the rates?

Of course for European, your guys have the same currency of Euro, but however I know that if you guys come to other nations such as Hungary or London, you will have to use anther currency.

So I highly recommended this app so it would be easier for us to calculate in our own currency the price of product. It is to make sure that we have not brought something at the sky price.

(3) Communicate with native speakers

- I use Google Translate: Google Translate translates to "tongue" but if your country is not popular in English (such as Taiwan) or you are not confident about. His English ability is Google Translate is still a useful salvation. However, there is one drawback that we need to have a working internet connection. But no problem, in another app just below that I am going to introduce, we will not need internet connection can still get the common sentences in local language ready.

(4) Lonely Planet:
Dictionary of common communication phrases in local languages.
First of all, I must say that Lonely Planet is one of the most popular travel guides in the world, Lonely Planet's app is not detailed in books, but it also provides the information you need to know. Quite comprehensive and useful.
Keep in mind that the guide to each city has all the items See, what to eat, what to eat, what to eat, where to shop, (bar, cafe, ...), Play (what activities to participate), how to travel (Transport), estimate the cost per day (Budget).

The advantages of Phrasebook.

 But the point I like the most in this app is the phrasebook: a travel dictionary that includes popular communication phrases translated into local languages, divided into very scientific items like "Transport" "Accommodation" (words used for hotels, reservations, check-in, ...), "Shopping" (the words used for the purchase. shopping), ... so easy to find. And the quality of the translation after the test in Vietnamese sentences, you feel assured about the accuracy. Just find the sentence you want and show it to the locals. Or better yet, to view the phrasebook, you do not need an internet connection (instead of Google Translate). But note that to see the phasebook when there is no internet, you have to download the city guide first (for example, there are wifi in the hotel), then do not exit the app, because if you turn off then turn on the app again. This will require you to download the city guide and you will have to have wifi / 3G at the same time.